Kendall Yards olive oil and vinegar shop brings 75 heath-conscious varieties to Spokane

Olive oil and vinegar are not just for bread and salads.

While they can pair exceptionally with both of those, a co-owner of the new Spokane Olive Oil in Kendall Yards puts olive oil in his popcorn and morning coffee, makes sparkling vinegar drinks called “shrubs” and discusses espresso balsamic martinis with customers.

“These ingredients make it fun to make really gourmet, flavorful meals simply and quickly and affordably,” co-owner Mitchell Moczulski said.

Moczulski opened Spokane Olive Oil with his husband Kyle Rohr at the end of August. Currently, the business offers 75 varieties of infused, fused and whole oils and vinegars. Each metal ‘keg’ of product – called fustis – is labeled with the manufacture date, flavor profile and, if applicable, biophenol levels of the oil or vinegar.

“I’ve seen other olive oil vinegar tasting rooms, similar business model and just didn’t like the product. A lot of times it’s like people taking a product that’s not the greatest and adding flavor to make it more marketable, and those flavors are often artificial,” Moczulski said. “Being as sensitive as I am to food and all sorts of fragrance and everything, you name it – it’s a blessing and a curse.”

Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis as a teen, Moczulski said that he was able to heal himself by paying attention to the quality of his food – something even he admits “is not supposed to be medically possible.” He describes cooking as one of his “great joys in life.”

“This is a way of trying to help Spokane eat healthier, higher quality products in a very affordable package,” Moculski said. “Basically, the policy I have is if I’m not going to eat it or put it on my body, I’m not going to carry it.”

Moczulski and Rohr discovered the oil and vinegar manufacturer – Veronica Foods – around two years ago while visiting a tasting room in Canada.

“The manager at the time, Marcy, just started handing me taster cups and I was just blown away with the quality and the flavors. It’s just such a wonderful product,” Moczulski said. “I fell in love and when I walked out with – my husband actually found the receipt from our first visit – it was over $400, all the oil and vinegar products.”

The oil and vinegar come in a myriad of flavors, including fruits, herbs, spices, mushrooms and even one for all-natural butter.

Having owned a coffee shop and a few other stores in the past, Moczulski and Rohr found themselves discussing what business they would try next and “all of a sudden, like a bolt of lightning we both went: Why don’t we look into the olive oil business?”

“We obviously kept getting more of it, but we just had to drive quite a distance,” Moczulski said. “We use enough of it, we should probably have our own store.”

A year later, Spokane Olive Oil opened for business with an olive green ceiling and display cabinets handmade by Moczulski.

“The response has been great. People come back and they buy more and they buy bigger bottles and they’re definitely using it,” Moczulski said. “They tell me what they made with it and I love hearing all the creative ways that people utilize the product.”

The business also sells products from other local businesses, including Inland Empire Spice and Tea, Mama’s Sweet and Sourdough Co., and Dark Horse Lavender and Herb Farm.

“I would love to continue to add local, high quality products,” Moczulski said. “Like I said, if I’m not going to eat it or put it on my body, I won’t carry it, so there’s some pretty strict requirements.”